Healthy Eating During Breast feeding - Some Nutrition Tips

During the stages of the last leg of the pregnancy, the baby actually could taste the food that the mother takes in. This is also true when you're breastfeeding. The milk your body makes is how it's going to feel on the palate. Hence mother has to practice healthy diet while breast feeding.

Nursing mothers can produce around 23 to 27 ounces of milk. Increasing the intake of calories per day by 500 counts will give you amazing results. As for liquids, 3 quarts to say the least of water drinking should be encouraged. If you haven't noticed your throat feels dry all the time. This is caused by the body's utilization of the liquids in your system to produce milk. Drinking beyond 3 quarts a day is not highly advised, however. This will result to a stoppage or decrease in your milk.

/2013/07/08/healthy-eating-during-breast-feeding-some-nutrition-tips/">http://know4better.com/2013/07/08/healthy-eating-during-breast-feed To ensure that you can nurse and produce the needed milk more than 3 month rapidly boost your calories by 2500 counts or higher each day. Added calories should be taken from healthy supplements. Junk foods can offer high quantities but are useless for milk production. Nourishment should come as the top priority for your baby. That's why it is important to choose your food carefully. What you eat id ultimately what you'll pass on to that beautiful child. High proteins are best to eat. A gram of it per pound of weight your body has is the best tool to use as measurement for your intake. For a mother weighing 120 pounds then her protein intake should be 120 grams a day.

Charging the body with calories throughout the day is good. This aids in the continuous process of milk production. The body it at work all the time, it will need all the energy from the calories you eat to sustain its function.

Foods with low nutritional value are best to stay away from. Basically, all babies are sensitive. Their immune systems have not yet been well established by their tiny bodies. Helping them get through that stage of development is easy enough. All that needs to be done is to watch what you eat. Another case of reaction of babies to bad eating habits of mothers is colic. Chocolates, candy bars and anything that's sweet cause this stomach ache. To be on the safe side, don't nibble on any of those while nursing your little one. Same advice will be prescribed by your pediatrician.

Too much oil in your diet can make your baby's stomach upset as well, same goes with too much spices. Temptation is larking around the corner, but there is a good chance that knowing what it might do to your baby can keep you away from them.

Garlic and onions tend to flavor the milk and babies don't like these flavors. This might cause them to stop drinking your milk all at once. So don't have them while nursing. Capturing the food intake of the mother takes so little to time to sip into her milk. That's why it's imperative to be vigilant. Your precious one might just be too young to love the taste to strong spices.  (Read Benefits of Garlic Milk)

There is always good to know that food is not only the factor that affects the taste of your milk. What ever beverage you choose you swallow down can ultimately flavor you milk as well. Caffeine for instance, can get your baby's heart pulsating like crazy. You wouldn't want to endanger your baby's condition. Then try not to drink coffee while nursing then. This will surely keep your baby out of harm's way. Totally abandoning this habitual drinking of caffeine can deteriorate the performance in dealing with daily tasks. It can be taken in small amounts, but not too much.

Moderation is always a good thing. Choosing to breast feed your baby will strengthen the bond between the two of you. He or she will grow up to be a healthy child. Just keep close to your heart the best practices on how to have a healthy baby by the things you eat.

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Diabetic diet for South Indians

Before pondering about the diet plan please note these thumb rules for diabetes diet
1. A strict no for sweets, chocolates, ice creams, jams, jellies etc
2. Stay away from fats- avoid ghee, butter, deep fried foods, red meat etc
3. Divide your diet in 5-6 small portions spread over a day. The best way is 3 small meals 2 healthy snacks.
4. Include more vegetables and fruits.

Here is an example for south Indian diabetes diet plan. Please consult your physician or qualified dietician before implementing any diet plans.

Early morning- A glass of karela juice or methi powder mixed in warm water or chewing of 5-10 neem leaves in empty stomach.

Breakfast (normal serving) –
1.Chose any one of these -3idlis /2 dosas/ 1 small plate upama/ 1 small plate pongal/ two  chapathis (without oil)/ whole wheat bread – 3 slices/
2.Chutney or sambar can be opted for side dish.
3.Include a small bowl of vegetable salad or sprouts or fruits with less sugar content (sweet lime/ orange/ apple/ papaya)
4.Tea / low fat skimmed milk/ water (without sugar or honey)

Mid noon:
A glass of butter milk (without salt) / green tea (without sugar or honey)/ 1 orange/1 sweet lime / 2 diet marie biscuits. Skip fruits if you have consumed fruits for breakfast.

Lunch:
1.Brown rice / broken wheat rice – 1 small bowl
2.Thick vegetable sambar -1 big bowl
3.Mixed vegetable curry – 1 cup
4.Rasam - 1cup
5.Roasted papad -1
6.Butter milk -1 cup
7.Fruits (papaya, sweet lime, orange) - ½ cup

Tea break:

Tea/coffee/ low fat skimmed milk (without sugar) – 1 cup with 2 diet Marie biscuit / 2 rusks

Dinner (2 hours before going to bed):
1. chapathi (without oil)- 1
2. Mixed vegetable curry/subzi – 1 cup
3. Brown rice / broken wheat rice/ green gram pongal/ – 1 cup
4. Rasam - 1cup
5. Roasted papad -1

Before going to bed:

1 apple / ½ cup papaya/ 1 sweet lime/ 1 orange/

Diabetic patients lose water through sweating and increased frequency of urination. Hence drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration, urinary tract infection, constipation and other complications which arise due to less consumption of water.
This article is copy righted. The author Dr.SavithaSuri is an Ayurvedic Physician and web master of Know better-food, diet and nutrition .Read more at Diabetes diet-South Inida

Diabetes diet facts and ayurveda view

Patients suffering from diabetes have to be well educated about their diet to keep the blood sugar level under control. A well planned diet always helps to keep the diabetic complications at bay. Here are few important facts which have to be carefully noted by diabetic patients, while consuming food.

1.Spread your daily diet over three healthy meals and two healthy snacks.

2.Strictly avoid extra intake of salt. Pickles, fast foods, chips, chats etc are laden with salt. Hence avoid these in your diet.

3.Reduce Fat in your diet. Increased fat doubles the chances of heart diseases especially in diabetics.

4.Reduce quantity of carbohydrates.  Foods like rice, wheat, ragi, jowar etc are rich in carbohydrates. Reducing the quantity helps to control diabetes.

5.Strictly say no to sugar , sweets, chocolates,  ice creams, soft drinks etc.

6.Include foods which are rich in nutrients like proteins, vitamins and minerals. Pulses, sprouts, green leafy vegetables, fruits, skimmed milk, butter milk etc are good sources of above mentioned nutrients.

7.Avoid foods which have high glycemic index. Potatoes, carrots, breads and banana have high glycemic index and they increase the blood-sugar levels.

8.Avoid red meat and reduce consumption of eggs. Lean fish can be used once in a week. It is always advisable for non vegetarians to slowly shift to vegetarian diet to prevent the complications of diabetes.

9.Ayurveda acharyas strongly suggest not to eat sweets and preparations which are made from sugar and jaggary(gur)  as main ingredient.

10.Texts of ayurveda recommend reduced intake of food which are rich in starch.

11.In ayurveda text “yogaratnakara” , it is mentioned that increased intake of cooked rice (anna), full fat milk (ksheera), red meat and other kapha increasing foods leads to diabetes.


This article is copy righted. The author Dr.SavithaSuri is an Ayurvedic Physician and web master of Know better-food, diet and nutrition .Read more at  Diabetes diet facts and ayurveda view

Taking care of Elderly

We often notice elderly people frequently complaining about their health. The causes behind these complaints are numerous. Reduced secretion of digestive juices, weak gums and teeth, consumption of various medications, lack of physical exercise etc, reduces their digestion capacity.  Unhealthy food consumption at this stage can lead to acidity, constipation, lose motions etc. These further aggravate the existing conditions.  The body of aged persons will be fragile and easily susceptible to diseases, injuries and allergies. Hence a proper care has to be taken about their diet and life style. Here are few tips to take care of elderly at home. These help them to balance their health and lead a comfortable healthy life.

1.Make them to understand the fact that they are young at heart and meanwhile their body needs extra care. 

2.Encourage them to eat soft foods which are easily digestible and get absorbed quickly to provide energy and nutrition.

3.Soft rice, well cooked vegetables, milk, soft pulp of fruits, juices and soups can be digested easily.

4.Deep fried foods, spicy curries can cause trouble.

5.Give them plenty of boiled warm water. This helps to prevent water borne infections.

6.Request them to consume their regular medications on time. Monitor this daily.

7.Get their complete health checked up once in six months.

8.Ask them to apply moisturizing lotion to skin. Skin tends to dry as we age. Dry skin is easily susceptible to fungal infections.

9.Motivate them to be physically active.  Make it a point to accompany them if they are too weak to walk by themselves.

10.Keep them engaged in one or the other activity. This makes their brain active and keeps diseases like Alzheimer at bay. Telling bedtime stories to grand children, giving tips about recipes, teaching embroidery, painting, singing or anything they are good at.

11.Provide non slippery flooring in their room and bath room.

12.Fix horizontal bars in their bathroom to provide grip.

13.They have taken care of us till now. Now it is our turn to repay them by taking utmost care with love and affection.

This article is copy righted. The author Dr.SavithaSuri is an Ayurvedic Physician and web master of Know for Better

Dry Fruit Milk Mix for Elderly

Aged persons need more nutrients to aid the repair process of body. Their body needs more vitamins and proteins as it experiences continuous degenerative process. Elders‘ diet should be simple, nutritious and easily digestible.  Here is a recipe which help to supply good amount of vitamins, proteins, antioxidants , minerals and many more.

Dry fruit milk mix

Ingredients:
Almonds – one cup
Shelled Pistachios – one cup
Cardamom – 10 in number
Saffron- ¼ spoon
Ragi- ¼ cup

Method:
Roast almond, pistachios, ragi separately in low flame. Allow them to cool. Remove outer skin of cardamom and collect seeds. Blend all roasted ingredients, cardamom and saffron in a blender into a fine powder. Store it in an air tight container. Mix a spoon of this with a glass of warm milk. Stir it well. Sugar, sugar candy, jaggery or date syrup can be added to this for sweetening . This warm drink supplies plenty of nutrients to elderly. Here is a list of benefits of ingredients.

Milk: Milk contains nutrients like protein, fat, mineral matter, water and lactose. It is rich in calcium and vitamins. It is the natural food of all young mammals. Milk is a reservoir of nutrients and forms an important ingredient of a balanced diet. As it is rich in calcium it makes our bones and teeth strong. It helps to nourish the body with high quality proteins and vitamins. Drinking milk everyday helps to keep our body fit. Warm milk induces good sleep.

Saffron: Saffron acts as a cardiac tonic and is used to treat diseases which originate from vitiation of blood. It helps in easy flow of urine. saffron helps to increase appetite .It also reduces indigestion, diarrhea, vomiting and acidity. Saffron is used as an active ingredient in ayurveda preparations for diseases of central nervous system.

Almonds :Almonds are rich source of fiber, proteins, minerals, vitamins and heart friendly fats. The fiber in almonds gives a feeling of fullness when consumed and add up to roughage content of diet. Almonds contain good percentage of proteins.  Apart from these vitamins and minerals like vitamin E, riboflavin, magnesium, calcium, copper and manganese are also present in significant amount. All these nutrient components help to boost body immunity, energy and repairing process of tissues.

Pistachios :Pistachios are rich in antioxidants, heart friendly fats, phytosterols, carotenoids, vitamins and minerals. The nutrients of this nut help to lower cholesterol level and prevent absorption of cholesterol from food. Consumption of pistachios helps to prevent cancer and diseases of heart. Studies have shown that carotenoids prevent muscular degeneration. The minerals and vitamins of pistachio help to boost body immunity and aid in normal functioning of body.

Ragi:Ragi is minor millet which is a store house of nutrients. The bioavailability of nutrients in this cereal has increased its nutrition value. Ragi provides fiber, starch, minerals and vitamins.
Dry Fruit Milk Mix for Elderly

Prepare baby cereal at home

Parents will be under utter confusion when their tiny tot is 4 months old.  Now they have to introduce him to the world of solid foods. Numerous advertisements on TVs and magazines about baby formula foods aggravate the state of confusion. Did our parents and grandparents face the same dilemma when we were young? How did they react to this situation?

We discussed this topic with elders. We stumbled upon many easy solutions which were healthy, nutritious, devoid of any chemical preservatives and prepared at home with love and care.  Here are few recipes for your precious one.

After fourth month baby requires solid food to cater to its growing needs. For this various vegetables like beans, carrots, green leaves and pulses can be cooked in pressure cooker. The contents are mashed and strained. The soft semi solid food is fed to baby with small spoon.  Take care to select only one vegetable at a time. Cook only few small pieces of it and mash them well. A dash of salt and sugar can be added to enhance taste. Feed this according to baby’s needs. Do not compel him to consume more. Follow his instincts of likes and dislikes. (Usually in beginning baby may take one or two small spoons of this) continuing breast milk along with these is very essential as breast milk provides complete nourishment.

When baby is 7 months old the following cereal meals, prepared at home, can be fed.

Rice cereal:

Ingredients –

    Basumathi rice – 1 cup
    Moong dal or green gram-1/4 cup
    Jeera  or cumin seeds – ¼ spoon

Roast rice and green gram separately till they turn little golden yellow. Roast cumin seeds till they crackle. Turn off heat. Allow all the ingredients to cool to room temperature. Mix all ingredients and coarsely powder them in a blender. Store it in an airtight container. Required quantity of this has to be cooked well in boiling water (hardly takes 5-6 minutes to get cooked) along with little salt and sugar to bring it to a soft semi solid state. Boiled and mashed vegetables can be added to this to enhance nutrition value.

Instead of cumin seeds, powder of elaichi (cardamom) can be added to make a sweet variant of this. Mashed fruits enhance the nutrition value and taste of this cereal.

Ragi cereal

Ragi is minor millet which is a store house of nutrients. The bioavailability of nutrients has increased its nutrition value. Wash ragi and drain excess water. Spread it on a clean cloth and allow it to dry in shade. Roast it in a thick bottomed woke till one or two of it pops.  This has to be floured in flour mill. Sieve this flour to remove husk.  Store it in an airtight container.  This has to be cooked in boiling water to semi solid state. Boiled vegetables or mashed fruits can be added to increase nutritional value of this.

Caution:
1.    Please consult your pediatrician before introducing your toddler to solid food.
2.    Researchers advise to breast feed baby till he is 2 years.
3.    If he develops allergy to any vegetables, fruits or cereal  consult pediatrician immediately
This article is copy righted. The author Dr.SavithaSuri is an Ayurvedic Physician and web master of Know for Better Read article at Prepare baby cereal at home